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Price named Clemente Award nominee

Price named Clemente Award nominee

ST. PETERSBURG -- Rays ace David Price has been exceptional on the field this season, but it's his work off of it that's also been turning some heads.

Thanks to his work with Project One Four and in the Tampa Bay community, Price was named the Rays' nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award.

The lefty is one of 30 finalists for the award that "represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement."

Price said he was honored to be named a finalist for the award that honors the memory of Clemente, who died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve in 1972 while delivering supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

"Roberto Clemente is a guy that I wrote a paper on when I was a kid because I admired the work he had done in the game of baseball and what he really stood for off the field," Price said. "It's a very big award to be nominated for, and I'm very happy."

Price's own charitable foundation, Project One Four, benefits youths in the Tampa Bay area and his hometown of Nashville, Tenn., donating school supplies and clothes to children.

"We just want to help as many kids as possible," Price said of what he wants to accomplish, "and we're trying to help whatever sports we can in that way, and sponsor teams and give money to traveling teams so they can go to some tournaments."

Price also helped create the Dugout Club program as part of the Rays' South St. Petersburg Neighborhood initiative in 2010 and sponsored the "David Price Bowl For Kids' Sake" bowling event in April that helped Big Brother Big Sisters.

"That's something that I remember my parents telling me as a little kid -- if I was ever in the position to give back, that's something I needed to look into doing," Price said. "I guess it's just my parents rubbing off on me."

The winner of the national award will be selected during the World Series and join the likes of past winners including David Ortiz, Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols and 14 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Fans can vote through Oct. 14 at MLB.com/ClementeAward and will be entered for a chance to go to the World Series.

During a pregame ceremony Tuesday, Chevrolet, the title sponsor of the award, donated $7,500 to a charity of Price's choice.